


A Hero's Companion

by MelinPie



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, but mostly that good road-trip-with-your-friend feel, but not enough for a tag, eventually going to go into Twilight Princess territory, two kids that saw way too much bonding over their experiences: what happens next may surprise you
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-07-13 05:10:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16010954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelinPie/pseuds/MelinPie
Summary: Set after Majora's Mask.Returning to search for his lost friend, the Hero of Time finds he is not as forgotten on this journey as he once thought, thanks to the kindness of a certain Skull Kid.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, after beating Majora's Mask (and loving it) a few weeks ago, I found out that the Skull Kid you meet in Twilight Princess might actually be same Skull Kid from Ocarina of Time and MM. There were also theories along with that saying that he stayed friends with Link after everything and is guarding the Master Sword in his place after his death. Considering all the stuff Link goes through in the Child Timeline after MM, this made me think of possible road trip-like adventures they would go on and how it would change the typical Hero-that-Time-forgot outcome for Link. This fanfiction is the result of me getting too attached to that idea so that I had to write it out.
> 
> Another few things: First off, although I read a lot of them, this is my first time ever writing facfiction. Second, English isn't my first language and I haven't really practiced grammar for years. You can totally roast me in the comments, but please know that I'm trying. Instead, I would really appreciate help for spotting those sort of mistakes, cause I won't see them until it's too late. Thanks a lot.

Two days. That was the amount of time Link had already spent continuing his search for his missing fairy and friend, Navi, following his adventure in the Land of Termina. Two days, and the next one was just starting. At this point, while Link couldn’t say he was regretting leaving the people of Termina behind so soon (in the end, no matter how many times he reset the three-day-cycle, none of the people he helped and saved would remember him – to no fault of their own), wandering the Lost Woods for so long to no avail was slowly starting to wear on the Hero of Time’s hope of actually finding his companion. 

Looking back on the last time he spoke to Navi (probably congratulating him after finally beating Ganon, just as relieved as him to finally put all the hardships they faced up to that point behind them), there was no indication that she would leave Link behind as soon as they returned to the past, much less where to – the Kokiri Forest was the first logical conclusion and, after months of asking around different locations Link visited together with her, the Lost Woods ended up as one of the last few options. In spite of this, and even though he had to admit that all signs seemed to indicate that Navi did not want to be found, Link wouldn’t give up on finding her. Not with all that has happened, not without a word of goodbye. And so, he was left searching through the last few stretches of the maze-like forest on his own, with Epona being his single companion on this journey.

Just as one might come to expect of a place called the Lost Woods, the forest was covered by a dense fog that morning. That, combined with Link’s lack of sleep the last couple of days, made it all the more difficult for him to keep track of his surroundings, but he saw no reason to wait out until the weather cleared just yet. Unbeknownst to him, that gave a passing Woflos on his hunt for prey the perfect opportunity to stalk up to the duo. It had waited out the best conditions for a quick meal long enough to go completely unnoticed by the boy, perfectly aware of the opportunities its environment offered and spurred on by its hunger alone. 

Once the monster sensed its chance, it bolted out of its hiding place and made its move to lunge at Epona’s blind spot, who sensed the danger just in time to make her escape in a sudden panic. Before the Wolfos could react and take after her, it was struck by a sword from behind: Link, even with the surprise, had rolled off his horses’ back from instinct to return the attack with a strike. Now with a different target, the Wolfos stood up on its hind legs to swipe at its opposite. Link could predict that action from experience alone and prepared to block the monster’s claws with his shield for that reason, without realizing that he hadn’t drawn the shield alongside his sword in the rush. Instead, his right arm took the full brunt of the swipe, making him grit his teeth in pain and shock before taking a couple of steps back to dodge out of the attack.

Right in that moment a figure dropped down from the tree tops, landing right between Link and his assailant. He couldn’t make out any of the figure’s features through the fog, but saw them trying to fight off the Wolfos with a stick by swinging it wildly at its head – with very little success, as the monster soon gained the upper hand and snapped after the other person quite a few times. Before Link could move in to help his rescuer, they threw an object to ground and bright burst of light followed – a Deku Nut. This earned them a yelp from the Wolfos, who finally turned tail and ran off deeper into the forest after a few more throws aimed at their eyes. Now Link could hear the figure cheer triumphantly with a voice all too familiar to him: “Yeah, that’s what you get, stupid Wolfie! Don’t go around hurting people like that!” As Link saw their clothing – old and torn, topped off with a hat made out of dried straw – there was no doubt about it: his rescuer was a Skull Kid. Not only that, but the familiar Skull Mask hiding the other’s face as they turned around to face him revealed that this was the same Skull Kid Link met before starting his adventure in Hyrule and faced as his adversary and puppet of Majora during the events in Termina.

Said Skull Kid now scrambled to take his mask off and face the Hylian boy. “Hee Hee, there you are, Fairy Kid! I thought I’d never catch up to you!” Before Link could even begin to start addressing the myriad of questions going through his mind in that moment, the forest imp noticed how he still held the arm that was clawed up by the Wolfos, as if in pain. “Hold on hold on, sit down for a moment! I can help you with that!” In reality, the wound was not nearly as severe as it looked; if a red potion could easily speed up the healing process to a matter of minutes without leaving a scar, what was the point of bandages? Despite that reasoning coming from Link, the Skull Kid still insisted on bandaging the wound with a leftover piece of cloth, “Just in case!”. In the end, the boy decided to comply and, after a quick bottle of healing potion he had brought with him for supplies, got his arm neatly covered up for an already fading wound. While both were settled on the ground, he began questioning the Skull Kid: “So, what did you mean by catching up with me? Why did you follow me all the way here?”

“Yeah, about that! So, after you left I started thinking about my old friends, the Giants. I know now that they never ever forgot about me like I thought. But still, they decided to go away and wait so that when something happens to the people in Termina, they can be ready. The Giants decided that everyone being safe and protected is more important than what they wanted to do! And, I think, they did the right thing. So now, because I did so many bad things,” For a moment, there was an audible pause as the Skull Kid’s tone of voice turned more somber. To the Hero of Time listening to him, there was no question that this was a serious matter to the other. “- I want to make it up again! And the first thing I thought of was, you were searching for your lost friend, right? So, I came here to help you find them!” The story was finished with a bright smile not unlike that of a child expecting a reward in return for a good deed.

This explanation was, however, not at all what Link expected. He already understood that he shouldn’t have judged the Skull Kid by his actions in Termina – Majora was the one to blame for the worst of it – but he couldn’t see him giving up his comfortable life with his friends to make amends for what happened. This left him at a loss for what to say, but Link eventually settled on the decision that would be safest for both of them. “Listen, I appreciate your offer, but I think you’re getting the wrong idea. I’ll be fine by myself. You don’t need to put yourself into danger for me.” 

The Skull Kid frowned in reply. “Well, it didn’t look like you were fine a moment ago… Besides, I actually live near here with all the other Skull Kids, so I know my way around!” That made it increasingly obvious that there would be no reasoning with the forest imp for now. Link had to admit, all doubts put aside, that there was a point to Skull Kid coming along and that he definitely proved that he could defend himself when he fought off a wild Wolfos without an actual weapon. He sighed. “Alright, you can come with while I’m still in the Lost Woods. After that, I’m going to have to work on some things that you would rather not get involved in, I promise you.”

“Hee hee, thank you, Fairy Kid! I promise you won’t regret it- Also,” Now the Skull Kid held out the Skull Mask towards the other. “I remembered you gave me this way back when, but I didn’t pay you enough! That wasn’t fair of me and I’m sorry, so you can have it back.” Link snickered from that well-intended action - was Skull Kid really thinking he would still be upset over, what, ten rupees after all this time? “No, it’s fine. You can keep it if you want. But, if we’re going to travel together you’ll want to call me something other than Fairy Kid.” Instead, the boy now stretched out his hand towards the forest imp.

“My name’s Link."


	2. Chapter 2

Each following day the duo would set off from the camp they build up the night before and split up to continue the search. Link would ride on Epona to cover more ground on horse-back, while Skull Kid would go in the opposite direction and scope the area from the treetops. Once the two met up again, without having found the lost fairy, they would move camp to the next landmark Skull Kid recalled from memory to repeat the pattern the next day. That way, the days passed without any incident, albeit unsuccessfully.

For the duration of the journey, Link made it his personal goal to teach the Skull Kid basic sword-fighting techniques - just so he wouldn’t have to resort to using a stick again in case of danger. The other took well to the training despite the initial difficulties, like having his posture corrected so many times to a stiffer one that felt so out of place for him. Once he adapted enough, Skull Kid learned how to make use of the acrobatic stunts he had no problems with to catch his target off guard with a strike from behind, just like Link taught him. The one thing the forest child couldn’t get used to was the use of the shield – no matter how many times Link tried to help him out, the difference in footing just made it impossible for him to effectively block an attack without almost falling over backwards. In the end, the idea was scrapped and the Skull Kid adopted a sword-fighting style that, to Link, didn’t feel unlike the one the Garo Ninjas roaming the Ikana Canyon used.

During one of the quiet evenings the duo spent waiting out the next day, Link took the time to retell his adventures together with Navi to his companion: starting from their call to action with the sudden death of the Deku Tree, visiting Hyrule Castle and Princess Zelda, to finding the three Spiritual Stones and ending with the circumstances that lead to the journey through Termina. During this, Link omitted his seven-year-long sleep in the Sacred Realm and everything that came afterwards – events that, to his knowledge, simply never happened after he returned to the past. No matter how uneasy he felt being the only person, besides Navi, to know how close Hyrule was to being destroyed entirely; he wouldn’t risk this version of history – the one he, Zelda, Navi, the Sages and the people of Hyrule worked so hard to achieve – by leaving any trace of the one he abandoned.

Nevertheless, Skull Kid listened avidly to Link’s story. He found no reason to doubt what his friend told him, in no small part because of how nothing seemed impossible to the other after his feats in Termina. If anything, it helped him build a better picture of the fairy that he, despite never having met her in person, considered a friend already.  


* * *

  
It was always moments like these that truly made Skull Kid worry about Link. Like so many nights before, they had made camp and settled down after another long day of searching, trekking through the unruly forest and training in sword fighting. Like always, while Link would nap and get his well-earned rest, Skull Kid, who insisted that he didn’t really need to sleep, read through the traveler’s journal the other brought with him. Originally, he just wanted to pass the time by seeing how many of the monsters the book listed he could recognize, but eventually he became more interested in the detailed descriptions of the places and regions outside the Lost Woods; many of which he had never even heard off before.

No matter how much Skull Kid tried to, he couldn’t focus back on the book this night. Instead, he was distracted by his companion’s fitful attempts at sleep. Link had laid down right next to Epona a couple of hours ago already, but after some time he would shift around from his original position again, and again a little while later. Skull Kid had noticed the same thing happening the previous nights just as well how Link seemed to be getting more and more tired waking up each morning. There was no doubt to the imp that something was keeping his companion up every night, but Link still acted just like normal even though the problem was very clear. Despite how much it made him worry, he still hesitated to point this out to the Hylian boy - if not only because he wasn’t sure how he could help him.

He would finally take the chance to do so this time around, the imp decided. If Link had the courage to stand up against and stop him from wreaking havoc when he was at his worst, this was the least he could do for his friend. Skull Kid turned around to face the latter. “Hey Link, is everything okay?” When no response came from the other, he continued: “I know something has to be wrong, for sure. You don’t gotta talk about it, but...” At this, the Hero of Time sighed and mumbled a reply. “Do you remember the ocarina I had with me? The one you took from me at the beginning?” 

Skull Kid affirmed that fact. “Yeah, I remember Majora got really mad because the thing suddenly wasn’t there anymore when Tael and I got to Clock Town. Said it had the power to control time, but you wouldn’t be able to free the Giants with or without it anyway. Then, the four guardians that were supposed to stop you from getting to the Giants went missing one by one, way faster than what Majora thought was possible, and there you were - right before the moon was about crash.” He knew and understood that Link had changed time somehow to defeat Majora, but he couldn’t see how this had anything to do with what was keeping him up each night.

Even though he hadn’t made any motion to sit up yet, Skull Kid could see Link nod from where he was laying, back turned to him. “The time between when I entered Termina and when the Moon was going to crash into it; I had to reset and repeat those three days over and over again. Sure, each time I got a little further, one step closer to stopping it all. That doesn’t mean it ever got any easier, seeing that moon and not knowing if I had enough time left or if what I was doing would even matter once I reset everything again.” From the tone of his voice, Skull Kid knew Link would be glaring at something right as he said this. At him, for being the reason why things got to that point in the first place, at Majora, for enjoying the fear and pain they inflicted onto everyone, or himself, for not being able to overcome that fear – he wasn’t sure which one it would be.

“I know I did defeat Majora in the end and that things have gotten better now, but it is hard to let go of that feeling that I still haven’t managed to save everyone – that I’m still in Termina. For now, at least; I know once enough time has passed, I’ll be okay. Please don’t worry about it, everything’s fine.” Skull Kid wanted to refute that last part – how could everything be fine if he was responsible for what his friend, the one who saved him and fearlessly faced the evil deity behind it all, was going through even now? – but Link’s explanation left him speechless for a moment.

He never considered that Link, who seemed like a fearless, resilient hero no matter the danger ahead, would still carry the scars of his adventures with him in some regard. The Hylian boy always looked like he could brush off whatever happened - probably because that was the very thing he wanted everybody else to see him as. Despite this, Skull Kid refused to think any less of him because of it. He wanted his friend to know exactly that and, more importantly, that he wouldn’t have to act like nothing’s wrong anymore. With that in mind, the imp broke the silence.

“If you really say so, I believe you. But you can always talk to me if you don’t feel fine anymore, no matter what. I think I understand what’s wrong from how you explained it. And even if it’s something you don’t wanna talk about, I’ll still try my best to help you. If I can make you feel better, it makes me feel better. So, you don't have to be a hero all the time, okay? Sorry if I kept you up ‘cause I was worried about nothing, though. Good night again, Link.” With that, Skull Kid turned his focus back on the traveler’s journal, content with leaving the topic at that. Even though the other could not see it, Link smiled at his companion’s kind offer.

“Thank you, Skull Kid. I’ll take you up on that from now on, I promise. Have a good night too.”  


* * *

  
More than a week passed since Link was first joined by Skull Kid on his search through the Lost Woods. On first glance, nothing seemed to have changed on their routine; still diligently making their way through the forest, they crossed off a new, carefully marked spot on the map Link brought with him each day. If anything, the atmosphere in the trio of Link, Skull Kid and Epona had improved with time. Link was slowly but surely letting go off the anxiety Termina left him with and, despite the constant trek through the woods, seemed less and less tired each day. Skull Kid enjoyed having a clear goal to strive for each day along with friends to share them with. Even Epona, who had still been cautious of the imp because of their first meeting, had warmed up to the new company and started treating him just like she would her owner.

The one downside was that the tension of not finding Navi became more and more apparent with each passing day. Even though Skull Kid joining made the search much more thorough and shorter, the two always returned to camp empty-handed. Especially Link, who was still holding on to hope of finding his friend, had started to work on the map much more often, looking for any spot that they might have missed and where Navi could still possibly be. Fortunately, Skull Kid’s company was enough to distract him from his worry most of the time and the approaching end of their journey was as good as forgotten again by the end of the day.  


* * *

  
When it was time to meet back up, the last few of hours of sunlight were already starting to fade. Skull Kid was the first to arrive at the camp that day, landing down from the treetops without a scratch. Link arrived soon after and the two settled down to decide on their next destination. After Link took the map, he remained silent for a while. To snap him out of his concentration, Skull Kid questioned the Hylian boy. “So, where are we headed to next?” With those words, the others expression became more and more distressed. Skull Kid immediately knew something was wrong.

“That’s... That’s the thing, Skull Kid. There- there are no more places for us to search.” The imp in question peeked over the Hylians shoulder to look at the map and, just as Link said, saw no marker on it that wasn’t already crossed off. They had no more options – their search had finally come to an end and turned out empty-handed. After months of searching, there was no possible way for Navi the fairy to still be in Hyrule. Without warning, Link crumpled up the paper and threw it to the ground, tears building in his eyes. Skull Kid reacted right away and moved to hug his friend in an attempt of comfort. They stayed in that position for a number of minutes - Link letting out his frustration and grief over loosing his friend alongside his tears and Skull Kid silently offering solace, unsure of what he could possibly say to help the other.

Eventually, the Hero of Time gathered himself enough to speak again, albeit shakily. “I think, after I searched for so long, I already knew that I would never see Navi again. But part of me didn't want to accept that – not if I didn’t try everything I could to find her again. Now I have no choice anymore. I don’t know if she chose to leave for forever or vanished or worse, but there’s nothing more I can do. I have to accept that Navi’s not coming back.” Skull Kid only nodded. What was there left to say that Link hadn’t already admitted himself? Without thinking, the imp asked “What now?”. He hadn’t expected the Hylian to reply, but there was little hesitation before an answer came.

“We go to Kokiri Forest.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you a lot for the support so far! It was really a lot more than I had expected for my first ever fanfiction. I actually planned to upload this chapter a lot earlier since I had the beginning written out already, but that trend is probably going to continue because I'm in my final year of school and won't have a lot of time for writing. Plus, I'm going to have to sort out the order of events for future chapters first before anything. So, if you feel like it, you can check back in a couple of weeks. Until then, thanks for stopping by.


	3. Chapter 3

There were a number of reasons why Link had decided beforehand to return to Kokiri Forest once everything was said and done. For one, it was because of the place itself. Even though he definitely wouldn't say he fit in with them anymore (how could he, after knowing that seven years was all it took for them to not even recognize him?), the home of the Kokiri was still also home for the Hylian boy. It was the perfect place to restock on supplies and rest before Link would have to make his way to Hyrule Castle, like he had already planned before the search even started. But the more important reason was a far more personal one: Link had decided to build a grave for Navi - even if that wasn’t what he wanted to call it. He wanted something to remember his friend by and, no matter how hopelessly naive it seemed, for her to know that she wasn't forgotten, should she ever return.

The actual “burial” stayed very quiet in nature. Link and Skull Kid picked out a tree stump next to the remains of the Great Deku Tree – after all, who was family, in a sense, to both Navi and the Hero of Time if not the guardian spirit of the Kokiri Forest? – and chose to engrave it. Although neither ever saw it firsthand, they both knew that that was what people would normally do when a loved one died: write down their name and why they were important to them. It didn’t take much time to decide what was going to be on Navi’s small memorial:

“NAVI THE FAIRY  
A GREAT FRIEND AND FORGOTTEN HERO  
REMEMBERED FOR ALL TIME”

After the carving for the memorial was complete the hero and the imp decided to each leave one personal item inside a little chest next to tree stump. For Link it was his trusty slingshot, worn from use even though it was all but replaced by the bow now and still carrying the weight of his and Navi’s adventure together with it. While Skull Kid never knew her and didn’t have a lot to offer as remembrance, he still left behind his handmade flute – in his mind, it was the least he could do. Even though this gesture was undoubtedly a promise to remember Navi, it was just as much a final goodbye to their friend – and for Link, an admission of defeat after not being able to find her. For that reason, the duo stood and waited in front of the finished memorial for a tense moment that wasn’t lost on either of them – there would be no going back as soon as the silence was broken.

But, as soon as it came, the moment passed and the two children were ready to move on.

On the way back to Link’s house the two of them were stopped by a familiar face. While Link knew and struggled with Mido the Kokiri all his life, Skull Kid only heard of him through the former’s description. Despite this, there was no doubt as to who the Kokiri in front of them, standing arms crossed and showing no sign of moving out of the way, was. Link wanted to avoid confrontation and tried simply moving past him, but Mido grabbed his arm, stopping the escape plan in its tracks. His victim’s only reaction was a sigh of “Just drop it, Mido.”, but he made no move to release him. Instead, this only started the Kokiri’s tirade.

“Well, what's this now? Not only do you have the nerve to run away after you were the one who let the Great Deku Tree die, but now you come back to the forest WITHOUT your fairy? Finally decided to ditch you when she found out she got the pity case instead of a REAL Kokiri, huh? How much more do you need to get it into your stupid head that you don't belong here?!” Even though Link managed to stay calm through most of Mido’s rant, the harshness of those last words visibly made him flinch. The Hero of Time was long used to the other's behaviour by now and knew his bully might even come regret some of it seven years later, but this cruelty was enough to hit a nerve in him - especially when it opened up so many fresh wounds from losing Navi. This reaction didn’t go unnoticed by Skull Kid, who, without hesitation, moved in to get the Kokiri to stop berating his friend. Mido, who was so focused on his usual victim, only now noticed the imp in front of him. “Oh what, now you even bring monsters from the Lost Woods with you? Are you trying to put us all in danger?”

This prompted Skull Kid to step between Link and Mido, making him release the grip he had on his friend. The imp was now more than angry with the Kokiri. “Leave him alone. Link never did anything to you.” This inference twisted the bully’s face from anger to confusion and annoyance. “You stay out of this, monster! I’m showing this fake his place whether you like or not. He never should have returned here after all he’s ruined, he betrayed-“ Not letting him finish his sentence, Skull Kid suddenly grabbed Mido by the collar of his tunic, shocking both the Kokiri and the Hylian. If the imp looked furious before, now he seemed ready to pay back every vile word the bully spat at his friend tenfold. “You don’t even know half of what Link has done for you! He tried everything to save the Great Deku Tree! He only left was because he needed to help others in Hyrule! He searched everywhere for Navi! And you push him around when he isn’t even fighting back? Is this how you repay him?! I won’t let you hurt my friend like this anymore-”

Before Skull Kid could escalate the situation further, Link put a hand on the imp’s shoulder and silently pulled him away from Mido. Without saying a word, the Hylian’s look was enough to make his friend understand that this was not an insult worth fighting over. Reluctantly, Skull Kid complied, still glaring at the dumbfounded Kokiri all the while. The latter seemed relieved to get out of the confrontation without harm, but not satisfied until he got his message across to the Hylian. Before the two victims of his insults could leave, he shouted after them: “Hey, fake. If you think I will just let you and your pet-monster stay here, you’re wrong.”

Without turning around, Link replied. “I didn’t plan on it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now listen: I don't hate Mido, he's just a bully. And the perfect victim for Skull Kid to shout at.  
> Honestly, this might be the chapter I'm the most happy with! If anything, I now know that I have the most fun writing people fighting. I know this definitely a pretty short chapter, but I wanted to be sure I get something out before the end of the year and it was a good point to end on so I have an easier time writing the next chapter. Also, I apologize for the longer wait than expected, but life has been rough these past months. It will most likely stay like that, maybe even worse, for the future, which is why I don't want to say when the next chapter might be ready yet. But, after the break between this and last chapter, I feel better about my writing and got some more motivation now. A big reason why is thanks to you guys keeping up the support, no matter how big or small. Thanks a lot. <3  
> Anyway, thanks for stopping by and stay tuned!


End file.
